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"I'm That Type of Guy," "Around The Way Girl," "I Can't Live Without My Radio," "Something Like a Phenomenon," "Jingling Baby (Go Head Baby)" and "Mama Said Knock You Out." Where would the world of music be without these classic rap anthems? And, that was only scratching the surface. C'mon, you fans of urban radio and hip-hop culture know them all too well. They're etched into the forefront of our cultural consciousness.
Remember, the heaviness of the bass that underscored "Cars ride by with the Boomin' System"; or the first time you ever heard a rap song as poignant and perhaps as syrupy as "I Need Love"; maybe it was the irresistible need to dance when you heard the Timbaland-produced "Headsprung," and didn't a song and video like "Doin' It," just wreak of pure sensuality?
With over 25 million albums sold, LL Cool J is the most successful hiphop artist in
history. Flip through your personal record collection, and more than likely you may rediscover copies of some of his earlier works like Radio, Bigger and Deffer, Walking With a Panther, Mama Said Knock You Out, and 14 Shots to the Dome. Or maybe it's the more mature LL you prefer, the one who continues to churn out hit songs from his more recent efforts such as 10, Phenomenon, G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), Mr. Smith, The Definition, and the current Gold CD, simply titled, Todd Smith.
LL Cool J has been making contributions to popular culture since 1984 upon the underground release of the song "I Need a Beat." It was in 1985 when a then fledgling independent by the name Def Jam Records released his seminal classic, Radio. LL is perhaps the most prolific songwriter/recording artist in hip-hop, and undoubtedly its most consistent and longest running hit-maker; this is of particular significance when considering the number of one or two-hit wonders that come and go within the hip-hop genre. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Maintaining freshness and relevance are crucial to survival in the game and LL has been able to maintain both.
Re-invention, too, has been vital to his success. LL is also an accomplished actor, having appeared in the early hip-hop classic Krush Groove and a star of his own TV show during the '90s called In The House. He has starred in a slew of hit movies from SWAT, Any Given Sunday, and, Rollerball to Kingdom Come, Deliver Us From Eva, Last Holiday, and the list goes on.
Then there are the awards. LL's shelf is plum full of Grammys, American Music Awards, Soul Train Awards, NAACP Image Awards and now an ASCAP Golden Note Award, bestowed upon songwriters and composers who have achieved extraordinary milestones.
LL's career
well, it is one nothing short of extraordinary!
To what do you attribute your longevity or staying power in the business?
God has just put His hands on me. He has blessed me to be one of the lucky people in the world who happen to do what it is that they love. I can do what comes from the heart as opposed to something that is not really me. The second piece is being focused and really paying attention to what is going on around me so that one never gets lazy or never falls out of touch. I try and make sure that I stay in tune with what's going on in terms of music. And I allow myself to stay a fan of music. You don't want to become an individual who becomes cynical, or who doesn't appreciate the success of others.
You made your entrance into the music scene in 1984/1985 when artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince reigned at the top of the charts. What is your take on that time period, and how do you think you fit in back then?
Some of the most talented rappers also emanated from that time period, such as Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Kool G Rap. They were a really talented crop of artists that were raised with the right balance of performance ability and lyrical prowess. At the time, I was just a young kid who was really, really excited about what I was doing, and was really into what I was doing.
Did you realize at the time that you were about to me a part of something historic; perhaps culturally revolutionary?
Not at all. I didn't know. My life has just gone to a whole other level. I would be lying if I sat here and told you that I knew my life was going to turn out this way. I'm thankful that it did.
Many of today's hip-hop hits are coming from the South (i.e. Snap Music or Crunk), or there's this relatively new Hyphy movement being popularized in the Bay Area. Most hip-hop artists are talking about the bling, gold grills and sexual themes. Where do you believe you fit in musically today?
To be honest with you, I don't think it's about fitting in. This is not a puzzle where a piece has to fit. This is my contribution to the world: a creative and an artistic contribution. I'm not looking to compete, I'm looking to create. I try at being the best I can be, and I try and give people 150-percent whenever I do a project or approach something.
When one listens to songs like "Control Myself" (with J-Lo), "Favorite Flavor" (featuring Mary J. Blige) or "Best Dress" (featuring Jamie Foxx), all taken from Todd Smith, your new album, were you purposely trying to return to some of your old school roots? Also, was it a conscious effort to have more than 10 guest collaborations on this new album?
I guess you could call parts of it old school, especially when you hear the "Control Myself" song where we use the sample from "Perfect Beat." But I don't know. It's just me. As far as the collaboration part of it is concerned, that happened naturally. That wasn't something we planned. It was like, 'Wouldn't Mary J. Blige sound great on the hook on this song?' Or 'would Juelz Santana sound good on this verse over here?' I had no idea the CD would end up having so many collaborations. I'm glad it ended up this way, because it was an interesting approach to the project.
| LL COOL J #1 SONGS |
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"I Need Love"
(1987 off Bigger and Deffer)
#1 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
"I'm That Type of Guy"
(1989 off Walking with A Panther)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
"Around the Way Girl"
(1990 off Mama Said Knock You Out)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles (occurred in 1991)
"The Boomin System"
(1990 off Mama Said Knock You Out)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
"Mama Said Knock You Out"
(1991 off Mama Said Knock You Out)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
GRAMMY Award Best Rap Solo Performance
"How I'm Comin'"
(1993 off 14 Shots to the Dome)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
"Hey Lover"
(1995 off Mr. Smith)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
GRAMMY Award Best Rap Solo Performance
"Loungin'"
(1996 off All World: Greatest Hits)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
"Father"
(1998 off Phenomenon)
#1 Billboard Hot Rap Singles
"Luv U Better"
(2002 off 10)
#1 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
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What do you look for musically when you hear a track that you're interested in recording to?
I'm a funny person in that regard. I really and truly don't over think things. When I pick music, I just pick what I like. The level of sophistication doesn't matter, because you can tend to over think things. Now, that doesn't mean I downplay the importance of musicianship or the importance of music, chord changes, and various contributions that musicians can make to a track. But it's really all about the mood that the track creates to me and whether or not I respond to it through my spirit. Beyond that, the best defining moment is whether the music gives you goose pimples.
Is there a producer or two that you have enjoyed working most with throughout your career, and what uniqueness did they provide that stood out from the others?
Definitely one of my most enjoyable experiences in terms of working with producers is Marley Marl. He kind of ushered me in to some new vocal techniques and encouraged me to kind of go into a different direction as an artist. Marley was definitely a highlight for me. Timbaland was a lot of fun to work with, too.
Back during the Mama Says Knock You Out period, audiences took notice because you were performing with a live band. How important is that live musical experience to you as opposed to simply performing with a DJ?
I like both. I like working with a band because you get so much more flexibility. It takes the whole experience to another level, especially when it's done correctly. I recently did a custom concert for the Oxygen network, and I performed with a very talented band called Franklin Bridge. But then I love working with a DJ, like Cut Creator. Sometimes it's fun to get really raw. I look at it like enjoying a dinner with all of the fixings or enjoying the fast paced of running through a drive thru. It's all of matter of what you're in the mood for.
A lot of your past and even recent hits benefited from the usage of sampling, i.e., "Around the Way Girl," "Doin' It," "Hey Lover" and the recent "Control Myself." You came along during a period when many rap artists and producers were harshly criticized for their usage of sampling. How did you face the issues regarding sampling?
Sampling was never an issue for me. Even though I use a sample, I always tried to approach the song in a way that was creative, whether you had the sample there or not. I never wanted the sample to carry the song. I wanted the song to carry the sample. When I look at "Around the Way Girl," the concept was much bigger than the sample we used.
LL COOL J #1 ALBUMS
#1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart |
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Bigger and Deffer (1987)
Walking with A Panther (1989)
14 Shots to the Dome (1993)
G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith:
The Greatest Of All Time (2000)
10 (2002)
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When you look back at your career, which album or two do you believe was the most pivotal in your overall career and why?
I gotta say my first album, Radio. My first record had "Rock The Bells" on it, and it was on and poppin' from the beginning. Mama Says Knock You Out was pivotal in that it helped me break into a new era for hip-hop, and into a new generation.
What singles hold the most significance to you and why?
My favorite singles of my own are "Doin' It," and "Boomin' System." And recently I did a remix with 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Hot Rod, called "Bump This." That joint is crazy.
Many hip-hop artists see a clear distinction between R&B and hiphop. Explain why your music has always been embraced heavily by R&B/Pop audiences as well as your hip-hop base. Because I don't mind making my music, musical. I'm not afraid to choose a track that creates a romantic atmosphere, as opposed to an angry or aggressive atmosphere. I don't limit myself in my track selection and my topics. I'm not afraid to make love songs.
Interesting, because early in your career you got flack from some hip-hop purists for creating a song like "I Need Love."
You gotta stick to your guns, and do what you do. People may say what they want about Shaq, but at the end of the day, his job is to get inside and pound the basket, dunk it. He's not going to be on the perimeter shooting three-pointers. He only shoots from the paint. Nobody expected LL Cool J to be somebody else.
Your lyrics have ranged from the fun and light side of hip-hop, to the sensual side, to the braggadocio and hardcore swagger. Is there a side of you that you've yet to explore lyrically? Do you wish you could have been more of a conscious rapper?
I think the record that is out currently, Todd Smith is very conscious. It's a thinking man's record. I'm not sure that's always the greatest thing in the world because music sometimes is not about thought, it's about feelings. But with that being said, the song I did with [gospel duo] Mary Mary is a very conscious record. I think it should be played more. There is some really good music on the CD.
Do you believe your music has played second fiddle to your sex appeal and hardened image? Or do you believe your music and image are synonymous?
I guess if I were to take a hard look at it and be objective, I would have to say they are probably one in the same. The greatest difficulty that I have is good is never good enough. If I put out a record and for lack of argument, it is rated a B+ or A-, that doesn't mean nothing. My records have to be great. The longer you do something the less impressive 'good' means. It's gotta be great and that's the challenge. It's like for Kobe Bryant to shock people, he has to shoot 81 points in a game. Look at Robert Dinero as an actor for him to be good in a movie is like, 'so what.' He has to be great. At the same time, though, it's a high class problem. I would rather be in that position and be a person known for excellence than be a person known for mediocrity.
With all the success you've achieved in film, TV, and your various ventures such as the fashion line, what keeps you motivated to even still do music?
Because I love it, and I signed a contract to do a certain amount of records. I'm not going to stop making music because I can go do something with the money. I didn't do this for fame and fortune. I create music because I want to be heard, and I still have something to say.
How does it feel to be acknowledged for a career of many milestones and achievements while still in your 30s?
I still think the best is yet to come, and there is still more for me to accomplish. God willing I will be able to accomplish it and take it to the next level. I accept this award and reward with open arms. This is not a period in my career, but a comma!
— David A. Mitchell
Mr. Mitchell is a 20-year music industry veteran, and VP/Managing Editor
for Urban Network Magazine
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ASCAP Golden Note Award
